Tooth-straightening appliance.



a universal opera FnANKc. nonenns or sT. Louis,

' FACTURING COMPANY, or

MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR TO THE MEIER DENTAL MANU- S'l. LOUIS, MISSOURI, A

CORPORATION OF MISSOURI.

TOOTH-STRAIGHTENING APPLIANCE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 28, 1919.

Application led July 1, 1914. Serial No. 848,361.

To all lwhom t may concern:

Be itknown that I, FRANK C. RoDGERs, a citizen of the United States, andresiding at St. Louis, in the State 0f Missouri, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in Tooth-Straightening Appliances, of whichthe followin is a specification.

This invention rates to tooth straightening or regulating appliances,and more particularly, to anchor bands therefor. This invention is animprovement on my coending application, Serial No. 838,866, le May `15,19,14.

Some of the objects of this invention are to further improve theconstruction of this type of appliance, so as to cause the arch or otherappliance element to be supported with greater rigidity, and so as topermit not only tion of the appliance without requiring an excessivenumber of adjustments, but also `to facilitate the ease of adjustment.

Further objects will appear from the detail description taken inconnection with the accompanying drawings,in which:

Figure 1 is a view of an appliance embodying this invention, f A i Fig.2 is an enlarged detail side elevation Fig. 3 is an enlarged detaillongitudma section,

Fig. 4 is a: sectional detail of the hollow clamping bolt, and,

Fig. 5 is a detail of another form of appliance embodying thisinvention.

Referring to the accompanying drawing, and more particularly, to Figs. 1to 4 inclusive, which illustrate the invention applied to a Lukensappliance, 10 designates an anchor band provided with a smooth eyelet 11and a threaded eyelet 12, through which extends a hollow clamping bolt18 having an angular head 14. In the Lukens anchor band, the clampingbolt is formed hollow to provide an anchor tube for the arch 15, thethreaded ends 16 of which extend into the clamping bolts and areprovided with nuts 17. This Lukens a pliance is fully described inUnited States gatent No. 660,194. The forward or mesial end 0f theanchor band, which forms, in this particular embodiment, the clampingbolt, is taper threaded, as shown at 18, and this end is split, as shown at 19, so that it may be contracted. This threaded end is adapted toreceive a clamping nut 20 which has a taper or pipe thread, as shown inFig. 3. After the arch is in position, the nut 2O is tightened and thetaper thread therein will contract the split end 18 of the anchor bandso as to cause it to firmly clamp the arch and hold it against movementin any direction with respect to the anchor band. As soon as the nut is,however, loosened, the grip on the arch will be released so as to permitadjustment of the arch with respect to the anchor band.

In accordance with this invention, the distal projection 18 on theanchor band 1.3 is threaded internally for a short distance from itsend, as shown in Fig. 4, adapted to engage the threads on the arch whenthis distal projection qis contracted. The threads preferably extend inthe same direction, and are of the same pitch, as the thread on thearch, so that when this distal projection is contracted on the arch, thethreads will intermesh so Aas to firmly hold the arch in osition againstmovement either longitudina ly, laterally or i'otatively. `The distalprojection 18 is also made long venough so that the clamping nut 2O canbe moved toward `the end of this projection sufficiently to loosen therip of the split end of the arch, before thecistal end of the clampingnut reaches the end of the distal projection. This feature is importantin appliances of this kind. As pointed out in the co-pendingapplication, it is much more convenient to position the arch nut 17distally of the anchor band, since thereby the adjustments can be morereadily obtained. This meansthat the arch nut will have to abut againstthe distal end of the anchor band. Now, where the clamping nut must bemoved partly ofi' of the distal projection, the adjustment of the archwill be disturbed every time that it is unclamped, and, since the archcan only be adjusted while unclamped, it, of course, follows that theadjustments cannot be made accurately. In accordance with thisinvention, however, the arch nut is always permitted to abut against thedistal end of the anchor band, whether the arch is clamped or loosened,so that unclamping of the arch will not disturb its adjustment.

Fig. 5 shows the invention applied to an angle anchor band. This band 28is provided With a bolt 29 attached to-one end of the band and passingloosely through. an eyelet or sleeve 30 on the other end of. the band,this fbolt being threadeduto receive a nut.31. The anchor bandV 32 hasits for- Ward or mesial end 33 threaded and split, as in the otherembodiment, so as to receive the clamping nut 20, and the inside of.this

anchor tube is corrugated or threaded as in the other embodiment.

The general operation has been described in my co-pending application,and the advantages -of the construction -Were also pointed out. Withthis construction, however, the internal corrugating or threading of theanchor band results in a-more rigid construction, While the arrangementof the clamping nuton the split end of the anchor band permits ythe archto be clamped and unclamped Without disturbing the adjustments of thearch.

While the parts 13 and 32'have been described as anchor tubes, and`While the arch Vhas beendescribed and shown as the applianceelementfadapted to exert pressure on the tooth to be moved, it isobvious that the anchor Vband may be used Withfotherappliance'elements,such as, traction screws, etc., which are adapted to be placedin andreceived by the anchor band. Tt is to be understood, therefore, that thetermsy arch and anchor tube are to be construedaccordingly. vIt-isgfurther obvious `that va.- rious changes maybe made in details ofconstructionlwithout departing from the spirit of this invention, and itis, therefore, to be understood 'that this invention is not to belimited to the specific construction shown and described.

Copies of thspatent may be obtained for' ve cents'fee'cln by :addressingthe Having thus described thein-vention, what is claimed is:

`1. An anchor band for tooth straightening appliances, comprisingananchor -tube adapted to permit an arch.to, .'slide vtherethrough, theinside of said anchor tube being threaded, and said anchor tube beingcontractible to grip an arch.

2. An .anchor band for toothstraightcning appliances, comprising ananchor tube split at one end, and a nut threaded on said split end andadapted to contract the same, the inside of said splitend beingthreaded.

-Sfln a toothA straighteningappliance, an anchor band comprising ananchor--tube,`an arch in said anchor tube,1 anA arch-.nut on ysaid archengaging 'the-endof said anchor tube, and means surrounding the end ofthe anchor tube engaged 'by saidnut, adapted to lock and unlo'ck'saidkarclr butleave vthe adjustment of said arch` nut undisturbed.

4. tooth straightening appliance'com-- prising'` ananchor bandy havingan` arch ancher-tube split at oneend, an arch; yin-said anchor tube, aclamping nut threadedf-on `said split end' land adaptedy to contract thesame, and an arch nut on said arch adapted to bear against said splitend.

5.*nl anchor band for tooth straightening appliances comprising a hollowclamping bolt constructed to;l form a contractible anchor tube, theinside ofsaidfbolt being threaded tol-engage thethreads on. an arch. Intestimony whereof I aiiiX mysignature `in- :theA presence of these`tvv0--witnesses FRANK C.`fRO-DCTERS. Witnesses:

T. H. SCHAEFERING, A. G. Manin.l

0 ommissioner.- ofiPatents,

Washington, D.. C.

